The bird man of San Quentin

With San Quentin has dozens of self-help programs for inmates. But one man foregoes them all, creating his own form of therapy through feeding birds.

"I have people who suggest that I should catch one and clip its wings and maybe keep it as a pet. And the idea of that horrifies me. I would never make another thing a prisoner. I'm a prisoner myself, I know how it feels. The satisfaction of seeing them fly when they choose to is one of the things that makes it special."

This story originally aired in September of 2017

San Quentin Radio is a project in which KALW editors train inmates to report stories from inside prison. San Quentin officials listened to and approved the script and audio for this story prior to broadcast. Thanks to Sam Robinson and Larry Schneider for their help.

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Cleo Cloman has spent over two decades behind bars for murder. He grew up in a two parent household and had dreams of playing professional baseball. After a rocky relationship with his father, he lost his passion for the sport and found a new pursuit: the streets. It ultimately cost him his freedom. But throughout the years of his incarceration he was able to reconnect with his father, and regain his love for baseball within the walls of San Quentin.